diff --git a/lib/metadata/metadata-exported.h b/lib/metadata/metadata-exported.h
index 83586063f..26ba5456f 100644
--- a/lib/metadata/metadata-exported.h
+++ b/lib/metadata/metadata-exported.h
@@ -882,6 +882,8 @@ uint64_t vg_max_pv(const struct volume_group *vg);
 uint64_t vg_max_lv(const struct volume_group *vg);
 uint32_t vg_mda_count(const struct volume_group *vg);
 uint32_t vg_mda_used_count(const struct volume_group *vg);
+#define VGMETADATACOPIES_ALL UINT32_MAX
+#define VGMETADATACOPIES_UNMANAGED 0
 uint32_t vg_mda_copies(const struct volume_group *vg);
 int vg_set_mda_copies(struct volume_group *vg, uint32_t value);
 int vg_check_write_mode(struct volume_group *vg);
diff --git a/lib/metadata/metadata.c b/lib/metadata/metadata.c
index d17bf742d..45bc72b8e 100644
--- a/lib/metadata/metadata.c
+++ b/lib/metadata/metadata.c
@@ -1063,7 +1063,7 @@ static int _vg_adjust_ignored_mdas(struct volume_group *vg)
 	int ret = 1;
 
 	mda_copies = vg_mda_used_count(vg);
-	if (!vg->mda_copies)
+	if (vg->mda_copies == VGMETADATACOPIES_UNMANAGED)
 		goto skip_adjust;
 
 	if (mda_copies > vg->mda_copies) {
@@ -1076,6 +1076,15 @@ static int _vg_adjust_ignored_mdas(struct volume_group *vg)
 			count = vg->mda_copies - mda_copies;
 		ret = _vg_unignore_mdas(vg, count);
 	}
+	/*
+	 * The VGMETADATACOPIES_ALL value will never be written disk.
+	 * It is a special cmdline value that means 2 things:
+	 * 1. clear all ignore bits in all mdas in this vg
+	 * 2. set the "unmanaged" policy going forward for metadata balancing
+	 */
+	if (vg->mda_copies == VGMETADATACOPIES_ALL)
+		vg->mda_copies = VGMETADATACOPIES_UNMANAGED;
+
 	if (!ret)
 		return ret;
 
diff --git a/lib/report/report.c b/lib/report/report.c
index 57c257d66..9a7633412 100644
--- a/lib/report/report.c
+++ b/lib/report/report.c
@@ -926,6 +926,11 @@ static int _vgmdacopies_disp(struct dm_report *rh, struct dm_pool *mem,
 
 	count = vg_mda_copies(vg);
 
+	if (count == VGMETADATACOPIES_UNMANAGED) {
+		dm_report_field_set_value(field, "unmanaged", &_minusone64);
+		return 1;
+	}
+
 	return _uint32_disp(rh, mem, field, &count, private);
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/args.h b/tools/args.h
index 60d99d15e..ebce2520e 100644
--- a/tools/args.h
+++ b/tools/args.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ arg(physicalvolumesize_ARG, '\0', "setphysicalvolumesize", size_mb_arg, 0)
 arg(ignorelockingfailure_ARG, '\0', "ignorelockingfailure", NULL, 0)
 arg(nolocking_ARG, '\0', "nolocking", NULL, 0)
 arg(pvmetadatacopies_ARG, '\0', "pvmetadatacopies", int_arg, 0)
-arg(vgmetadatacopies_ARG, '\0', "vgmetadatacopies", int_arg, 0)
+arg(vgmetadatacopies_ARG, '\0', "vgmetadatacopies", vgmetadatacopies_arg, 0)
 arg(metadatacopies_ARG, '\0', "metadatacopies", int_arg, 0)
 arg(metadatasize_ARG, '\0', "metadatasize", size_mb_arg, 0)
 arg(metadataignore_ARG, '\0', "metadataignore", yes_no_arg, 0)
diff --git a/tools/lvmcmdline.c b/tools/lvmcmdline.c
index 45762b50d..4652888d2 100644
--- a/tools/lvmcmdline.c
+++ b/tools/lvmcmdline.c
@@ -473,6 +473,34 @@ int readahead_arg(struct cmd_context *cmd __attribute((unused)), struct arg *a)
 	return 1;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Non-zero, positive integer, "all", or "unmanaged"
+ */
+int vgmetadatacopies_arg(struct cmd_context *cmd __attribute((unused)),
+			 struct arg *a)
+{
+	if (!strcasecmp(a->value, "all")) {
+		a->ui_value = VGMETADATACOPIES_ALL;
+		return 1;
+	}
+
+	if (!strcasecmp(a->value, "unmanaged")) {
+		a->ui_value = VGMETADATACOPIES_UNMANAGED;
+		return 1;
+	}
+
+	if (!_size_arg(cmd, a, 1))
+		return 0;
+
+	if (a->sign == SIGN_MINUS)
+		return 0;
+
+	if (!a->ui_value)
+		return 0;
+
+	return 1;
+}
+
 static void __alloc(int size)
 {
 	if (!(_cmdline.commands = dm_realloc(_cmdline.commands, sizeof(*_cmdline.commands) * size))) {
diff --git a/tools/tools.h b/tools/tools.h
index d96b8dc35..a09fa8e8e 100644
--- a/tools/tools.h
+++ b/tools/tools.h
@@ -152,6 +152,8 @@ int units_arg(struct cmd_context *cmd, struct arg *a);
 int segtype_arg(struct cmd_context *cmd, struct arg *a);
 int alloc_arg(struct cmd_context *cmd, struct arg *a);
 int readahead_arg(struct cmd_context *cmd, struct arg *a);
+int vgmetadatacopies_arg(struct cmd_context *cmd __attribute((unused)),
+			 struct arg *a);
 
 /* we use the enums to access the switches */
 unsigned arg_count(const struct cmd_context *cmd, int a);